Flooring
We offer quality flooring from carpet, hardwood, tile, vinyl, laminate, and bamboo.
All American Restoration and Painting LLC has been installing wood, carpet and tile since the beginning, and we know how to add value and beauty to your home. We can acquire most name brand products as well.
Hardwood Flooring
There are many wood flooring species, domestic and imported, available to the consumer today. The appearance of the wood determines how it is "graded." All grades are equally strong and serviceable, yet afford the consumer different looks.
Engineered Floors
Engineered floors can be installed above, on, or below ground level. constructed of multiple layers of 3- or 5-cross grain wood piles, engineered floors offer dimensional stability, eliminating the natural expansion and contraction of wood. They can be glued to the sub floors and slab foundations or in most cases, stapled down. Each layer is stacked in a cross-grain configuration and bonded together under heat and pressure. As a result, engineered wood flooring is less likely to be affected by changes in humidity and can be installed at all levels of the home.
Solid Floor
Solid, like it sounds, is milled from a single 3/4" thick piece of hardwood. Because of its thickness, a solid hardwood floor can be sanded and refinished over several generations of use. One of the characteristics of solid wood flooring is that it expands and contracts with changes in your home's relative humidity. Normally, installers compensate for this movement by leaving an expansion gap between the floor and the wall. Base molding or quarter round is traditionally used to hide the extra space. Designed for installation above ground or ground level only, solid strips or planks are typically nailed down to the subfloor.
Floating floors
Floating floors are manufactured in large, wide pre-assembled wood panels that make installation fast and easy. The individual boards actually float above the sub floor with no direct attachment. Of course, if you prefer, they can also be glued directly to the sub floor.
Hardwood floors are a stunning feature almost anywhere in your home and suitable in almost every room, from living and family rooms, hallways, bedrooms, kitchens, home offices, and studies. Other floor covering materials simply can't compare to the natural beauty of hardwood flooring. Hardwood floors outperform and outlast almost any other floor covering material. And hardwood floors are just as easy to care for as any other floor.
Hardwood floors are much like other flooring materials in that there are many different price points. There are inexpensive hardwood floors and there are more costly hardwood floors. But when you compare the life cycle of hardwood floors versus other floor covering material, then you realize just how inexpensive hardwood floors really are. Most hardwood floors will last a lifetime while the average lifespan of carpet is 7-9 years. So you could replace carpet 3 or 4 times in a 30-year period, while simply maintaining one hardwood floor.
Choosing the right finish for your hardwood floor will enhance its beauty for many years. A finish protects your floor from everyday wear, dirt, and moisture, and provides color and luster that give your floor its own personality.
You can choose from a few types of finishes:
OIL-BASED URETHANE is the most commonly used floor finish. Available in gloss, semi-gloss, and satin sheens, oil-based urethane is generally applied in two or three coats, with drying time of up to 8 hours for each coat.
WATER-BASED URETHANE provides a clear, non-yellowing finish and produces fewer odors than other choices.
Hardwood floors are just as easy to care for as any other floor covering material. Normal care such as sweeping or vacuuming to remove dirt and soil is generally all that is required.
Hardwood floors can be installed almost anywhere in the home. Solid products can be installed on or above the outside soil line while engineered products can be installed on, above, or below grade, including basements. The only place we do not recommend hardwood flooring is in wet areas such as bathrooms and laundry rooms.
Tile Flooring
Ceramic Tile has been around for centuries and with today's technology, manufacturers have created new design and application possibilities that were not available a decade ago. You will be amazed at the wide selection of colors, sizes, shapes and new textures that are now available. Ceramic tile is a natural product made up of clay, a number of other naturally-occurring minerals and water.
Glazed ceramic tile has a ceramic coating applied to the tile body which gives the tile its color and finish. Glazed ceramic tile is a popular choice for your interior floors and walls and offers unlimited decorating possibilities.
Some characteristics of glazed ceramic tile are:
Durable - a properly installed ceramic tile will outperform and outlast nearly any other floor covering product created for the same application.
Easy care - glazed ceramic tile resists stains, odors, and dirt and can be cleaned up with a damp mop or sponge or common household cleaners such as Mr. Clean, PineSol, or Spic and Span.
Scratch resistant - Grade III and Grade IV glazed ceramic tiles are extremely resistant to scratching and you never have to worry about a cut or tear like you do with some other types of floors.
Environmentally friendly - ceramic tile is manufactured using natural materials and does not retain odors, allergens, or bacteria.
Beautiful and Versatile - modern ceramic technology has created virtually an unlimited number of colors, sizes, styles, shapes, and textures that will add rich beauty and character to any room decor.
Fire Resistant - ceramic tile doesn't burn nor emit toxic fumes. A lighted cigarette, when dropped on the floor, even if allowed to sit, will not do any damage to ceramic tile. Even hot kitchen pans or skillets will not scorch or melt the surface of glazed ceramic tile.
Water Resistant - most glazed ceramic tile has a dense body that permits little or no accumulation of moisture. This means spills from common liquids found in a kitchen are not a big concern.
Unglazed Floor Tile (Pavers) - There is no glazing or any other coating applied to these tiles. Because these tiles are porous, it is recommended that a special penetrating sealant be used to maintain these types of floors and to help prevent stains from seeping into the pores of the tiles.
Porcelain - Porcelain is a very strong, affordable tile that is extremely durable. Many porcelain tiles produce a natural stone, paver, or an antique rustic look. There are many lines of porcelain tile with trim and decorative tiles to match.
Slate - Slate is a traditional, metamorphic rock that tends to split along natural grains and fissures in the rock creating a rustic surface that is appropriate indoors and out.
Italian Travertine and Limestone - Italian Travertine is a type of limestone that's formed near underground springs. It is best to seal the stone to protect against stains and a filled version is probably best for wet areas because the natural pits may collect water. Limestone is usually creamy white to soft gold-beige, is a sedimentary rock that is more porous than granite and marble. Limestone must be sealed to prevent unsightly staining.
Marble and Granite - Marble is a natural product and is not made in a factory. For this reason no two pieces of marble look the same and the veining is a natural characteristic in all marble. There are special marble sealants to help protect from staining of the face. Extra care should be used when cleaning and all abrasives and acidic cleaners should be avoided. Granite is another natural stone and is not manufactured in a factory. Granite can be used indoors or outdoors and is less porous than marble. It is recommended to use a sealant to protect the finish from staining.
Mosaic Tile (marble, glass, ceramic) - Mosaics refer to any very small tile 2-inch square or less in width. It can be made of glass, porcelain, stone or clay. These tiles are often used to create artistic designs, add decorative accents to field tiles, or shower pans.
Grout - Grout is a mixture of cement and a color additive. For tile floors with wider spaces between each tile, sand is added to the grout. Also, a liquid latex additive can be added to the grout to give better resiliency to the grouted areas. For ease of maintenance, a penetrating sealant should be used on the grout. It should be noted you may see a change in color of your grout over time.
Laminate Flooring
Unlike hardwood, laminate floors will not stain, fade, dent and are far more scratch and water resistant. Entry level laminate wood flooring is designed for light traffic areas and come with warranties ranging from 10 to 15 years. Most people set their expectations too high and expect that entry level floors will perform under heavy traffic conditions and still look good for the duration of the warranty. This is however not the case, as an entry level floor subject to high traffic will start to show wear and tear within three to five years.
Laminate floors come with cores ranging from 6mm up to 12mm. A thicker core is more stable, less vulnerable to buckling and will sound more like real hardwood when walked on. Good quality cores are treated with water repellent chemicals, and resist swelling due to excessive moisture. This is very important especially when considering placing laminate wood flooring in bathrooms and kitchen. For these applications also consider a floor that has Paraffin wax impregnated joints. The Paraffin wax acts as a water repellent and will prevent topical water spills from penetrating down to the core. Also remember to scrutinize the warranty, as certain products are not covered for use in bathrooms and kitchens.
No matter what style of decor you have from formal, to traditional, to country, or contemporary there is a laminate floors that will bring your rooms alive!
Laminate Floors offer superior impact resistance, superior scratch resistance, superior stain & fade resistance, easy care finish, can be installed over a wood or concrete surface, and comes in rich wood and ceramic designs. You can get laminate flooring that looks like any other flooring manufactured!
Bamboo Flooring
Bamboo flooring has emerged as a new material for the commercial design market. It's unique look and earth friendly properties has made it popular for flooring and panels. Although bamboo has been used as a construction material for centuries, it has only recently emerged as engineered flooring.
Bamboo floors are suited to both casual and formal environments and will compliment the decor of both minimalist and eclectic flooring designs. Today's State-of-the-art technology coupled with an almost limitless choice of stains, finishes, styles and designs make bamboo floors one of the most practical and versatile choices available.
Here are some important facts you should know before selecting your floors:
Bamboo is a grass not a wood. As a grass it regenerates faster than wood. In fact, it is typically harvested within five years of sprouting, making it a truly renewable resource. Its use can provide a positive impact on the environment and provides a great flooring option. Harvesting serves to stimulate the growth of very extensive underground root systems, which develops fast growing sprouts the following spring. Sprouts breaking through the soil can grow as much as 2 feet the first day.
Bamboo hardness varies. The Northern Red Oak's (bamboo plant) characteristics are the same regardless of where it is grown; the same cannot be said for bamboo grown in the different provinces in China. Although bamboo used for flooring is always the same species, there are significant differences caused by environmental conditions. Where it grows, what time of year it is harvested, the age of the grass, the soil chemistry and the amount of rain, are all variables that will affect the hardness and stability.
The best bamboo used for flooring, grows on the top portion of a mountain with moderate rain, ages five to eight years, is harvested in the winter, is five to seven inches in diameter and is located in either the Fujian or Zhejiang provinces in China. The bamboo harvested in these provinces is harder and more stable than other locations due to the environmental conditions.
Carpet
Durability depends on the three important factors: fiber type, yarn twist, pile height and density. Choosing a carpet based on any one these factors can be misleading. It's important to select the right balance of all three. Appearance retention refers to how much of the original appearance is retained after use. This is affected by many factors referred to above.
Nylon is the most widely used of the synthetic fibers. Its many attributes combine to provide outstanding durability and performance. Nylon fibers have the best resilience qualities and will hold their shape best out of all fibers over time. This translates into the best appearance retention. Nylons are very suited to high traffic areas. Nylon carpets do tend to stain easier, however with the appropriate stain guard protection; this should not be a concern.
Polyester is less expensive than nylon, and offers exceptional softness and color clarity. It also offers better stain resistance than nylon. Polyester fiber is not as resilient as nylon, but is very luxurious looking, and is best suited to formal rooms that do not receive heavy traffic.
Olefin is the least expensive of all the fibers. Olefin is naturally stain, fade, mold and mildew resistant. This is a solution dyed yarn, which means that the color is inherent in the fiber. This is the only fiber that can be cleaned with a mild bleach-water solution. Olefin is the most stain resistant of all the fibers; however has the lowest resilience, which makes them least suited to plush carpet construction and perfect for Berbers. Most commercial and indoor/outdoor level loop carpets are constructed from olefin. Berber carpets constructed from olefin offer unsurpassed value for high traffic areas.
A luxurious natural fiber, wool carpets do not offer the same durability and resilience as man-made fibers, but they do age gracefully. Wool is not exceptionally stain or soil resistant, although it cleans well. Wool is the most expensive carpet fiber and represents less than one percent of carpet sales.
"Design is not making beauty, beauty emerges from selection, affinities, integration, love."
- Louis Kahn
